Railway mail-handling apparatus.



J. D. HEDRIGK.

RAILWAY MAIL HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FBB.7,1914. 1,126,210. Patented Jan. 26, 1915. s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W mama THE NORRIS PETERS C0,, FHOTO'ZJTHO" WASHINGrON. Dv c.

J. D. HBDRIOK.

RAILWAY MAIL HANDLING APPARATUS.

PD 1 9 1 6 2 n a J a w n w a P. A .1 9 l B E I D E L I I N 0 I T A G I L P P A 1 I, 1 g 1 3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS co PHOTO I7HO WASHINUIUN o c.

J. D. HEDRICK.

RAILWAY MAIL HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 7. 1914. 1,126,21 0., Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 8.

affozuct s THE NORRIS PETERS c0. FHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

JESSE D. HEDRICK, 0F WAYNE TOWNSHIP, HUNTINGTON COUNTY, INDIANA.

RAILWAY MAIL-HANDLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 28, 1915.

Application filed February 7, 1914. Serial No. 817,190.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssn D. HnonIcK, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vayne township, in the county of Huntington and State of Indiana, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Mail-Handling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to apparatus for transferring mail bags or other articles to and from moving railway trains at stations and other points where mail or the like is to be delivered or received, and has for its general object to provide automatic apparatus of this character which will perform its intended function in an eiiicient and reliable manner with a minimum attention on the part of the mail clerk or other ope ator.

The more particular objects of the invention, together with means whereby the same may be carried into effect, will best be understood from the following description of one form or embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood, however, that the construction described and shown, has been chosen for illustrative purposes merely, and that the various features of the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

In said drawings: Figure 1 illustrates conventionally and in side elevation a railway mail car having the invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the car showing the transferring devices in plan. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the catcher or receiving device. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the mechanism for operating the receiver. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 66, Fig. 1, of the delivering or ejecting apparatus.

12 denotes a railway car mounted on wheels 13 running on a railway track 14, which parts may be of any usual or well known construction. Beside the track is located a suitable support, herein shown as a post 15 having a horizontal arm 16 extending toward the track and carrying at its end a horizontally arranged bar 17 upon which the mail bags or other articles to be received by the train may be hung, as indicated in Fig. 1. At the base of the post 15, and between the same and the railroad track, is a stationary trip herein shown as a rectangular block 18 suitably set in fixed position upon the road bed.

The transfer mechanism carried by the train comprises a catcher or receiving device for picking up a mail bag or the like hung from the bar 17, a delivery device or ejector for dropping a bag from the train at a predetermined point, and mechanism for operating these transfer devices, said mechanism being itself automatically operated by engagement of portions thereof with the trip 18 as the train passes the station or point at which the post 15 and trip 18 are located.

The catcher or receiver is laterally movable through an opening 19 in the side of the car from its normal or retracted position within the car to an extended or operative position at one side thereof as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This receiving device, the construction of which is most'clearly shown in Fig. d, comprises a laterally sliding frame consisting of a door 20 adapted, when the receiver is in its normal or retracted position, to close the opening 19, side base members or rods 21 connected at their inner ends by a traverse member 22 and guided for horizontal movement transversely of the car in'bi-ackets 23 secured to the upper side of the floor of the car, and a central base member or rod secured at its forward end to the door 20 (preferably by extending said rod through said door and forming said end with an eye 41) and at its rear end to a post secured at its upper end to the transverse member 22 and projecting downwardly through a slot 26 in the floor of the car, in which slot said post is guided for horizontal movement transversely of the car. The post 25 is carried by an eye 4-2 on the end of a bar 43 which is guided for horizontal movement transversely of the car in brackets 4% secured to the bottom of the car beneath the floor. The outer end 45 of the bar 43 is turned upwardly at the outer side of the door 20 and is secured thereto by passing through the eye 41 and through a similar eye 46 adjacent the top of the door. The bar 4.3 and brackets 44 cooperate with the frame members 21 and guides 23, and with the post 25 and slot 26, in guiding the receiving device in its lateral movements and steadying and strengthening the same.- Carried by the receiving device is a palr of nets 27 and 28, the former being supported.

in a substantially horizontal position by'the base members 21 and 24, and the latter being arranged in an upright position and being connected at its lower end to the base member 24 and at its upper end to a bar 29.' At its outer end the bar 29 is slidably mounted on a guide or bracket 30, secured to the door 20, for movement transversely of said door or longitudinally of the car. The inner portion of said bar is received in a guide 31 secured to the inner side of the wall of the car adjacent the top of the opening 19 and adapted to permit movement of the bar 29 both transversely and longitudinally of the car to provide both for the lateral movement of the receiving device as a whole and for the longitudinal movement of the bar 29 on the guide 30. The nets 27 and 28 (so called for convenience) may be formed of any suitable material such as wire, rope or the like or even textile fabric, the net 28, however, being of a sufficiently flexible character to permit the movement of the rod 29 transversely of the door 20 as above explained.

A mail bag which is to be picked up by a passing train is hung upon the bar 17 adjacent the end thereof toward which the train is traveling, that is to say, if the train be traveling toward the right, as indicated by the arrow on Fig. 1, the mail bag or bags will be hung upon the bar 17 at the right side of the arm 16, as indicated in said figure. As the car approaches the post 15 the receiving device is moved out into the operative position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 by mechanism which will presently be more fully described. Vith the parts in this position, as the receiving device passes the post 15 the mail bag will be engaged by the arm 29, removed from the bar 17, and permitted to fall into the nets 27 and 28. It will be observed in this connection that the bag is received by the net 28 on the side thereof toward the front of the train. l/Vhen the bag is first struck by the bar 29 the first operation is to move said bar on its guides 30 and 31 to the limit of its movement toward the rear of the train, thereby inclining the net 28 rearwardly into the proper position to coiiperate most efficiently with the net 27 in receiving and retaining the bag and also relieving, to a certain extent, the impact of the parts.

Beside the opening 19, through which the receiving device is projected, as above eX- plained, the side of the car is formed with a delivery opening 32 which is normally closed by a door 33 hinged at its upper edge to the side of the car adjacent the top of the opening 32. Adjacent the bottom of the opening 32 the floor of the car is formed with a short inclined chute 34 beside which are-uprights 35 forming a bin or pocket in which a mail bag or other article to be dropped ordelivered from the train may be placed. Projecting inwardly from the lower corners of the door 33 are arms 36 carrying between them at their inner ends an ejector or pusher37. As herein shown the pusher 37 is formed integral with the arms 36, the whole device being preferably formed from a bar of resilient metal bent into the proper form, whereby the arms 36 and pusher 37 will remain in engagement with the bottom of the chute 34 throughout the openingof the door 33. The normal position of the parts is as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, with the door 33 closed and the pusher 37 in an upright position at the inner ends of the uprights 35. A mail bag or other articleto be delivered is placed in the pocket formed by the uprights 35, door 33 and pusher 37. As the car reaches the station the door 33 is automatically opened, by means presently more fully described, and the mail bag not only permitted to drop from the chute 34 through the opening 32 but positively ejected therefrom by the pusher 37 which is moved forwardly with the door 33 when the latter is opened. The door 33 is automatically opened by the receiving device when the latter is projected into operative position by means of a connecting rod or arm 38 which engages at one end an eye 39 on the door 33 and is connected at the opposite end to the door 20 of the receiving device, preferably by means of an eye 40 on the end of said rod or arm which embraces the rod 24 adjacent the eye41.

The mechanism coiiperating with the trip 13 for automatically operating the transfer devices above referred to will now be described. Pivoted at 47 on the lower side of the floor of the car are levers 48 which at their inner ends engage the eye 42 and which are pivoted at their outer ends to connecting rods 49. ,The rods 49 are formed at their ends with angularly offset portions 50 to which. are pivoted intermediate their ends operating arms or levers 51 arranged-respectively adjacent the opposite ends of the car. The form of the arms or levers 51, and their connection with the portions 50 of the rods 49, are such as to cause these arms or levers, normally to maintain, by gravity, the upright positions shown in Figs. 1 and 5 Each lever 51 is supported by the engagement of the adjacent portion 50 of the cor responding'rod 49 with a bracket 52 secured to the side of the car and having a guide slot 53 through which said portion 50 of the rod 49 passes. The upper ends of the in similar guides or brackets 54 secured to the side of the car. It will be seen that the levers or arms 51 as shown have no fixed fulcrums. It will be understood that, as the train proceeds along the track, the lower ends of the levers 51 successively engage the trip 18. A lever so engaged is first turned about its pivot 50 until the upper end thereof engages one end or the other of the guide 5%, after which said lever will turn about said upper end as a fulcrum, causing a longitudinal movement of the rod 19. After the lower end of the lever passes out of engagement with the trip said lever is permitted to assume, by gravity, its normal upright position irrespective of the condition in which the mechanism is left. The importance of this provision resides in the fact that the two levers 51 are designed to engage successivelv the trip 18 but are connected with one another in symmetrical relationship by the rods 49, levers 4:8, and eye 12, so that when one of these levers engages and is operated by the trip the other lever is similarly but oppositely operated, and if these levers were pivoted on fixed fulcrums passage of one by the trip would leave both in such an inclined position that the second would not engage and be operated by said trip. As shown in Fig. 1 the lever 51 at the right or forward end of the car has passed the trip, and the lower end thereof has been moved toward the left, causing a corresponding movement of the lower end to the other lever 51 toward the right. During the latter movement, however, the portion 50 of the rod A9 corresponding to the arm 51 at the left or rear end of the car has been moved bodily in the slot 53 of the bracket 52, and the upper end of this arm or lever 51 has moved laterally in the bracket 54:, leaving said arm still in an upright position so as to engage the trip 18 when it is reached.

The complete operation of the device may be briefly reviewed as follows. As the train approaches a station at which a transfer of mail is to be effected, the mail clerk on the car places the mail bag to be discharged at the station in the bin or pocket at the rear of the door 33, while the station agent hangs the mail bag to be picked up by the train upon one end or the other of the bar 17 in accordance with the direction of movement of the train, as above explained. Assuming the direction of movement of the train to be as indicated by the arrow on Fig. 1, the arm or lever 51 at the right or forward end of the car first engages the trip 18 and is moved rearwardly, thereby through the corresponding rod 49, lever 48, eye 42, post 25, and rod 43 projecting the receiving device outwardly from the side of the car into the position shown in the drawings. The receiving device during its outward movement acts through the arm 38 to open the door 33, thereby ejecting the bag in the rear of said door, as above explained, and drops the "same upon the platform or road bed or into any suitable receptacle arranged to receive it. As the receiving device passes the post 15 the mail bag on the bar 17 is caught from said bar in the nets 27 and 28, as above explained. Finally the arm or lever 51 at the rear of the car engages the trip 18 and is moved toward the rear, thereby throwing the corresponding rod 49 and lever 58, automatically withdrawing the receiving device into its normal position within the car, and closing the doors 20 and 33.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides a mail transfer system which is automatic in every respect, which acts to project a receiving device into operative position to receive mail and thereafter withdraws the same and closes the receiving opening, which not only releases the mail to be dropped but positively ejects the same, which is equally operative automatically to perform its intended function irrespective of the direction of travel of the train, and in which the timing of the automatic operation is controlled to a large extent by mechanism on the car rather than by the arrangement of fixed parts beside the track, so that but slight modification of the usual road bed equipment is required.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a railway mail system, in combination, a mail transfer device, a railway car, a trip, and a plurality of operating members for said transfer device adapted successively to engage said trip, each of said members being adapted to operate said transfer device or to restore the same to normal position depending upon the direction of movement of said car.

2. In a railway mail system, in combination, a stationary trip, a railway car, mail transfer mechanism carried by said car, and a plurality of operating devices for said transfer mechanism also carried by said car and adapted successively to engage said trip as said car passes the same, each of said devices being adapted to operate said transfer mechanism or to restore the same to normal position depending upon the direction of movement of said car.

3. In a railway mail system, in combination, a mail transfer device, a trip, a member for operating said transfer device or restoring the same to normal position, and means for supporting said member adapted to permit the same to engage said trip in any position of said transfer device.

4. In a railway mail system, in combination, a mail transfer device, a trip, and a pivoted and bodily movable operating memberfor said transfer device, said member being adapted to engage said trip in all of its positions of bodily movement.

5. In a railway mail system, in combination, a stationary trip, a railway car, a mail transfer mechanism carried by said car, an operating arm for said transfer mechanism cooperating with said trip, a movable pivot for said arm, and means cooperating with said arm for causing the same to be operated when engaged by said trip, said means permitting said arm to maintain an upright position at all times.

6. In a railway mail system, in combination, a mail transfer device, a railway car, a trip, a plurality of operating members for said transfer device adaptedsuccessively to engage said strip, each of said members being adapted to operate said transfer device or to restore the same to normal position depending upon the direction of movement of said car, and means for supporting each of said members adapted to permit the same to engagesaid trip in any position of said last named transfer device.

7 A railway car provided with mail transfer mechanism, an upright operating arm for said mechanism, a guide by which said arm is supported adapted to permit movement of said arm longitudinally of said car, and a second guide engaging said arm at a point removed from said first named guide and adapted to permit a limited movement of said arm longitudinally of said car.

8.'A railway car provided with mail transfer mechanism, operating means for saidtransfer mechanism including a connecting rod, an upright arm pivoted intermediate its ends to the end of said rod, a guide for the end of said rod adapted to permit movement thereof longitudinally of said car, and a second guide engaging the upper end of said arm and adapted to permit a limited movement thereof longitudi na-lly of said car.

9. In a railway mail system, a stationary trip, a railway car, a transfer device carried by said car, a lever for operating said transfer device, a connecting rod for operating said lever, an upright operating arm pivoted intermediate its ends to said rod and adapted to engage said trip as said car passes the same, a guide for the end of said rod adapted to permit movement thereof longitudinally of said car, and a second guide engaging the upper end of said operating arm and adapted to permit a limited movement thereof longitudinally of said car.

10. In a railway mail system, in combination, a stationary trip, a railway car, a mail transfer device carried by said car, a pair of'le'vers for operating said transfer device, a pair of operating arms arranged adjacent the opposite ends of said car and adapted successively to engage said trip as said car passes the same, and rods connecting said arms and levers respectively.

11. The combination with a railway car and a mail receiving device mounted to slide laterally on said car from a normal position within the same to an operative position at one side thereof, of a stationary trip, a plurality of devices carried by said car and adapted to engage said trip successively, and mechanism operated by said devices respectively for automatically moving said receiving device into operative position assaid car approaches a station and for positively and automatically restoring said device to normal position as said car passes said station.

12. In a railway mail system, in combination, a stationary trip, a railway car, a mail receiving device mounted to slide laterally on said car from a normal position within the same to an operative position at one side thereof, a mail delivering device carried-by said car, mechanism for moving said mail receiving device into operative position and for restoring the same to normal position, said mechanism including a pair of operating members carried by said car and adapted successively to engage said trip as said car passes the same, and means connecting said delivering device with said receiving device for operation thereby.

13. In a railway mail system, in combination, a stationary trip, a railway car having a floor provided with a transversely arranged slot, a mail receiving device mounted to slide laterally on said car from a normal position within the same to an operative position at one side thereof, said device comprising a member guided for lateral movement above said floor, a member guided for lateral movement below said floor and a post connecting said members and guided in said slot, a lever operatively connected with said post, an operating arm carried by said car and adapted to engage said trip as said car passes the same, and a rod connecting said arm and lever.

14. The combination with a railway car having a floor provided with a transversely arranged slot, of a mail receiving device mounted to slide laterally on said car from a normal position within the same to-an 0perative position at one side thereof, said device comprising a member guided for lateral movement above said floor, a member guided for lateral movement below said floor and a post connecting said members and guided in said slot, means for operating said receiving device, a mail delivering device, and means connecting said delivering device with said receiving device for operation thereby.

15. The combination with a railway car,

of a mail receiving device comprising an upright net, means for holding the lower end of said net against movement longitudinally of said car, and means for supporting the upper end of said net adapted to permit a limited movement thereof longitudinally of said car.

16. The combination with a railway car, of a mail receiving device comprising a sub stantially horizontal net, an upright net supported at its lower end adjacent said horizontal net against movement longitudinally of said car, and means for supporting the upper end or" said upright net adapted to permit a limited movement thereof longitudinally of said car.

17. In a railway mail system, in combination, a stationary trip, a railway car provided with a delivery opening, a delivery door for closing said opening, a pusher connected with and operated by said door, a mail receiving device mounted to slide laterally on said car from a normal position within the same to an operative position at one side thereof, a pair of levers for operating said receiving device, a pair of operating arms arranged adjacent the opposite ends of said car and adapted successively to engage said trip as said car passes the same, rods connecting said arms and levers respectively, and an arm connecting said delivery door with said receiving device for operation thereby.

18. A railway car provided with a delivery opening, a delivery door hinged at its upper edge to said car adjacent the top of said opening, automatic means for operating said door, and arms projecting inwardly from said door and carrying at their inner ends a pusher cooperating with said opening when said door is opened.

19. A railway car provided with receiving and delivery openings, a delivery door for closing said delivery opening, a mail receiving device normally located within said car but movable through said receiving opening to operative position at one side of said car, a door carried by said receiving device for closing said receiving opening when said device is in normal position, means for operating said receiving device, and an arm connecting said delivery door with the door of said receiving device for operation thereby.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JESSE D. HEDRICK.

Witnesses:

EARL TYLER, KARA MYERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

